


And a Hint of Caramel in the Air

by Leonawriter



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! Zexal
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Character Death, Gen, Ghosts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-08
Updated: 2013-12-08
Packaged: 2018-01-03 23:26:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,666
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1074288
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Leonawriter/pseuds/Leonawriter
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kaito had died not long before Haruto was born. But Kaito had always wanted to be a big brother, and stuck around for as long afterwards as he could... up until the time he could do no more.</p>
            </blockquote>





	And a Hint of Caramel in the Air

**Author's Note:**

  * For [UsagiSquared](https://archiveofourown.org/users/UsagiSquared/gifts).



It had been an illness. He hadn't known much, apart from that, except that he was gradually growing weaker and weaker by the day, and his mama and papa were spending more and more time with him, and seemed sad all of the time they were with him, no matter the smiles they put on for him.

And then his parents had told him that he was going to have a baby brother or sister, and he'd promised them - he was _definitely_ going to get better before they arrived! He definitely was!

He never did, in the end.

One last show of strength, they might call it, but one night he went to sleep feeling full of life, and for his parents, he never woke up. The doctors would say that he put all of his energy into trying to be more healthy, and over-exerted himself.

That was only a couple of months before Haruto was born.

Kaito was there, though. He was always there. He couldn't be a good big brother if he was dead.

He waited out in the hall with the doctors and nurses rushing around, with papa who couldn't see him, small legs dangling off the chair and feet not touching the floor. He waited until a nurse came outside with a bright, happy look on her face, and told papa to come in, come and see his new son.

Kaito had come in too. He'd come in and sat across from papa, the other side of his mama's bed, and stared intently into the face of his new little brother.

Because even if Kaito wasn't there any more, he'd still be the baby's big brother. That would never change.

Papa looked over at mama, and they shared a look.

"Have you decided what to call him yet?"

She smiled, although it was far sadder than any of the ones Kaito remembered from before he'd slipped away that night.

"I thought maybe Haruto," she said, and papa smiled too, nodding.

Kaito brightened. The baby had a name now! He waved, not even caring whether or not he'd be noticed.

"Hi, Haruto-chan! Everything's all new and weird, isn't it? Well, you're going to grow up big and strong, and you've got mama and papa and me to look out for you, so it's not so scary! And- and I'm Kaito! I'm your nii-chan!"

The baby moved its arm in a random, flailing gesture.

"Nii-chan," he said, slower this time, and waving his hand around in front of the baby's face.

He could have _sworn_ those big gold eyes looked straight at him.

...

When Haruto was two, he wandered off while they were in the park. Kaito followed him around, scaring away the big dogs and luring Haruto back in the right direction with interesting things.

He'd stopped being able to 'see' him after starting to be able to talk, but Kaito didn't mind. He could still look after him, even if it was just a _bit_ , and that was good enough.

He wished he could do more, but he'd settle for what he _could_ do.

Sometimes he'd talk. He knew Haruto probably couldn't understand him yet, but it helped to talk, and he liked to think that maybe, sometimes, he seemed calmer at the sound of his big brother's voice, no matter the subject, whether it was about their misadventure in the park the other day, or that one time they played pooh sticks and Kaito had plopped one off a tree and his had won - but no one had known, because to them, he hadn't been playing.

He'd talk about when he'd been alive, too, of the few friends he'd had, the kids he'd known and known of, and how mama and papa had been before Haruto. He'd tell Haruto how much he'd looked forward to being a big brother, and how much he enjoyed it, even if it wasn't quite what he'd expected.

On each of Haruto's birthdays, Kaito would spend the night telling his little brother exactly what he would have given him if he'd been able to.

_"I saw a D-Gazer I thought you'd really like in the window of that shop we passed the other day! I'd have asked papa to get it so I could give it to you. Then you could watch me duel!"_

Seasons came and went. He threw snowballs at Haruto, but it always seemed more like tiny, miniature snow flurries rather than actual snowballs, and Haruto didn't have anywhere to aim back, so after a while he just decided on focusing his energy into piling the snow in one place. Snowmen were easier anyway.

At the age of five, Haruto first showed signs of being interested in duelling, but it was later that year that he also first showed signs of weakness.

Mama and papa were scared. So was Kaito.

Haruto didn't quite understand what was going on, when papa threw himself into his research. Kaito heard him when papa thought no one else was listening, talking about weird things like 'worlds' and 'treasures' and 'asutrals'.

Kaito didn't understand any of it.

So, instead, he spent more time with Haruto.

He spent time talking, and telling him it was going to be all right. Because Kaito was going to _make_ it be all right.

He'd scared away dogs. He'd calmed him down when he was scared and when he was alone with the sound of his voice. He was a big brother, and big brothers could do anything, right?

Over time, Haruto started feeling better. When he was six, they gave him a personal robot, one that had used to belong to Kaito himself, and Kaito had smiled at the sight, and waved - until realising the thing couldn't see him either.

He spent all his time with Haruto now, and hardly ever went more than a few paces away from him.

Haruto, at age eight, was going out again. Only for short trips, routine and supervised by Kaito and Orbital 7 as well as someone else - it wasn't always the same person, it was sometimes the purple lady, or maybe it was the red guy, sometimes both, and sometimes mama.

Kaito would stick close to Haruto all the time, though, always talking, always explaining to deaf ears exactly how his little brother liked things.

One time, the purple lady went butterfly catching with them, and Kaito, with a little strength, urged one onto Haruto's finger.

 _"It's beautiful,_ " she said. _"Do you want to keep it?"_

Haruto just shook his head, and smiled at the lady. _"It's just pretty, don't you think?"_

He let the butterfly go, and they watched as it flapped its wings, free.

Kaito was starting to realise that even though he called Haruto his 'little' brother, it wasn't strictly true any more.

Haruto was eight years old now. Nearly nine. Soon, he'd be bigger than Kaito.

He was growing stronger by the day, too! he could spend longer and longer outside, and Kaito felt prouder of him with each day gone, even though he knew that, sooner or later, he wouldn't be needed.

He looked down at his hand. It was fading.

On Haruto's ninth birthday, Kaito 'helped' blow out the candles with him. He didn't think he actually did anything, but it made him feel like he was there, at least. His little brother was almost better, now, it'd just take one last push, and maybe he'd be okay and no one would have to worry any more.

He sat by Haruto's bedside that night, and told him of the day he was born, nine years ago. About how Kaito himself should really have been seventeen by now, really, but he was still seven. Still short, still seeing the world from that point of view that he could see Haruto growing out of.

He realised as he tried to hold his brother's hand that he was crying - for the first time in ten whole years, he was actually crying, because... because when he thought about it, how could this be enough? How could it, really?

Haruto's eyes opened blearily, still sleep-ridden, and just like that day nine years ago, blue eyes to golden yellow, like the sky and the sun.

 _"Haruto,"_ he said, not quite believing that he was being seen, that he could _possibly_ be being seen after all this time. He was only half there.

He'd given the rest to Haruto.

_"I- I tried, y'know! I tried to be a big brother to you, but... you couldn't see me.  No one could."_

Haruto's eyes widened, mouth opening slightly in shock, but a certain kind of recognition there, as though he _recognised_ him, _knew_ this voice. 

_"I'm still doing it, though, still trying! Even though you never really got to know me, I think you're the best little brother I could've hoped for!"_

He noticed Haruto shifting about in bed, trying to get an arm free, his eyes misting up.

_"I'm sorry, Haruto-chan. I'm sorry I couldn't be the big brother you should've had."_

"Kai...to?"

_"I've got to go now! But don't worry! You're not gonna be ill any more, because I'll be with you. I, I might not always be there like before, but I can... I can do that!"_

He was fading, now. 

Haruto reached out with his now free hand, only to grasp at thin air, still seeing his brother's smile linger before that, too, faded.

In the morning, Haruto's mother found her son having apparently cried in his sleep, although neither of them could explain how one of the caramels from the kitchen had found its way under his pillow.

...

AN: Okay so I hardly ever Zexalfic but Usagi had these tags and then I started _thinking_ about them and it wouldn't go away. And then I thought 'what if Kaito moved on because he'd given all his ghostly power to cure Haruto of his sickness' and wow then it kind of stuck.

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt tags: oh damn this is so relevant # to this dream i had about kaito the other day # where he dies before haruto’s even BORN he’s all tiny # but he knew he was going to be a ‘big brother’ soon # cause when he died his mom was pregnant with haruto # so yea but then he died but his ghost hung around # cause he wanted to be a big brother # even though he can’t really change much and get any older or anything # he wanted to be haruto’s big brother as best he could # but he doesn’t feel like he’s good enough # ghost and all that # so in the dream i just saw him # finally getting to talk to his brother # and he’s a little weepy cause he’s still a kid y’know # and he’s moving on and he’s like # 'i'm sorry i couldn't be your big brother…'


End file.
